Chris Harrison found himself in a very dramatic situation.
Last week, The bachelor competitor Rachael Kirkconnell– who is competing for the affection of the first Black Bachelor Matt James– came under fire after a Reddit user shared photos of the Georgia native attending a formal fraternity ball. The 2018 event was described by the poster as a “ball with the theme of antebellum plantations”. Rachael also faced criticism for alleged past behavior on social media.
On February 9, Chris appeared in Extra with Rachel Lindsay, the first black single in the franchise, and was asked about the situation. His answer immediately raised his eyebrows.
“I didn’t speak to Rachael about it,” he shared. “And it is here, again, that we all need to have a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion. Because I saw some things online – again this judge-jury-executor thing – where people are just destroying the separate life and diving into, like, her parents and her parents’ record of votes. It’s incredibly alarming to watch this. I haven’t heard Rachael talk about it yet. And until I actually heard this woman get a chance to speak, who is it Do you want to say something like that? “
Rachel was quick to say that the photos “never looked good”. And on February 10, Chris apologized for his comments and acknowledged that what he said “perpetuates racism”.